Does your character have a story?

You are currently in the GW2 subforum, just a heads up. <3

(I have a feeling I'm going to get made fun of so hard for this thread. Oh well.)

I've never RP'ed in any game, as I never really felt attached enough to the lore. (Including WoW, even though I enjoyed the story of WCIII immensely) Now, I don't really plan to RP in GW2 at all, but eventually over time (due to me playing along with the Asura who 'act' like they think they're above everyone. It is acting, right rats?) I've started to jump in and out of character for giggles on the forums, and eventually it led to me actually thinking up a backstory for my character. Don't know when it happened, really, I didn't go out of my way to think of one before today at work when I was like, "Huh.. What if-" Anyways, did anyone else do this? If so, share your character's backstory. It could be a detailed 10 paragraph story explaining all of your character's life accomplishments and personality, or it can simply be "Delias Ashreign. Charr Warrior. Ash Legion. Thinks he's awesome." :P

(Okay, so I was having fun while writing it and expanded it more than what I had thought up when I was bored at work. So.. this ended up being longer than intended. Also, I know I'm a terrible writer. Sorry!)

Anyways, here's mine:
Delias Ashreign was raised in an Ash Legion fahrar, training largely with thieves, rangers, and magic wielders. Primarily because of this, Delias has been raised believing his brute strength much greater than it actually is. This cockiness shapes his personality, resulting to him referring to other Charr as "Cub" until they have proven themselves his superior in combat.
His warband's first mission was nearly a failure due to this faith in his own power, it's success only due to the simplicity of the mission. They were to check the surrounding area for rumors of Grawl near their camp, and eliminate any they found. Delias, who was to wait in the shadows with his warband for the group of Grawl to walk into an ambush, decided that the weak primitives posed no threat.
Letting out a feral roar he charged the grawl group, fellblade raised. To his left he heard his sparring partner Clawspur shout at him, followed by the sound of him unsheathing his daggers and sprinting behind. The Grawl would have fell to their blades alone, if not for the group of Grawl hunters bringing up the rear hidden from the warband's original position. Delias cleaved the nearest Grawl in two as Clawspur dodged to the right less than a second too late to avoid a storm of arrows headed for him. The Grawl fell quickly after that with the arrival of the rest of their warband, but blame rightfully fell on Delias for Clawspur's injury. The argument was heated and eventually the runt of the group, a thief known as Grimm Ashreign, went too far. He spoke of removing Delias from the warband, forcing him to the rank of a gladium like his father with no honor or respect. At these words Clawspur rose, blood pooling at his feet, to tear Grimm's throat out himself. As is Charr tradition, Clawspur was considered correct in the debate with the death of Grimm, and the issue was never revisited.
Humbled slightly by Clawspur's injuries, Delias followed orders he considered worth following after that. He now trusts his life fully to his warband, knowing the value of each of them should be measured in more than raw power. However, his personality has not changed completely. He prioritizes the mission higher than the comfort or even lives of anyone outside of his warband, he is extremely aggressive and prefers the method with the most corpses in his wake, and he still refers to most charr as 'cub'.

(Here's hoping this doesn't turn into too much of a trollfest, as almost every other topic recently has..)

i've rarely actually rp'd myself either, but i can't play a character in pretty much any (rp) game for long without putting thoughts in their backstory, their personality, their views and goals. playing a character without that just feels bland to me.

as for gw2, the characters i've thought about so far are (Sy)Nara (a human thief), Syrina (a sylvari necromancer) and a yet to be named human guardian.

Syrina was the first one i came up with, but there's not much of an actual 'story' for her, just personality. she's very young (as are many sylvari) and is just experiencing the world for the first time. she's 'born' in the cycle of dawn and, like most of my characters, of a gentle, kind and thoughtful nature.
she was very interested in everything related to death right from the beginning, as it is still a big mystery to her kind and as she does not see it as something bad in itself, but rather as something to be embraced as part of the cycle of life. each death brings new life, and dying is the first step to a new birth - of another life that is inherently connected to the one before. this believe is further strenghtened by the hivemind-ish bond that all sylvari share, making the experience (both the beautiful and the horrible ones) of each indidual a part of the whole for all generations to come.
she's having problems understanding the views of other races and cultures regarding death and dying (and to some extend pain) though, so even though she is very caring and sympathetic at heart, this leads to her appearing as cold, heartless or even cruel at times.

Synara - or just Nara, not sure which one i will use - was the 2nd one. she, too, is pretty young (late teens or so) and of a generally 'good' kind, but she's got some pretty twisted mental issues due to what has been done to her in the past. as a 'thief' she prefers to be either subtle and blend into the crowd, or to deceive foes with her beautiful and innocent appearence and her noble education, rather than to rely on actual stealthiness or even violence.
she was adopted into nobility as a child, from an orphanage that picked up kids from the street and specifically raised and educated them to be fitting for parents of higher standarts. she never learned who her biological parents were, or what had happened to them, but she did love the couple she was adopted by, and enjoyed a life under their loving care and relatively free of worries for a few years - until the two were murdered in their sleep and the girl was found sitting in their bed, in the middle of a pool of blood, struggling to understand what had happened.
further growing up under the care of a friend of her adoptive parents and plagued by nightmares, she devoted herself to finding out who they were murdered by, and why. but *twist twist, hint hint * she slowly discovers that not all is as it seems and that her nightmares are more that just a traumatic reaction to her cruel loss.

Sano Ironbelly (aka Sanochan) is my main WoW character reborn into GW2. Currently he is a Beastmaster Hunter, but for my own reasons he will be a Warrior in GW2. He trusts his rifle sometimes more than his own comrades. Mighty Blue Bear is his best friend when it comes to getting into trouble. They both like to poke their nose where it doesn't belong. Usually in the wrong place at the right time, leading to some pretty interesting adventures.

Think I finally figured how to re-tool my character's story for Tyria, without sacrificing too much of his personality. Perhaps the "grim hero with a dark and sinister past" concept is over-used these days, but I've used it for years, and it appeals to me muchly. Unfortunately, what I consider to be Drake's "signature" appearance likely can't be accurately done in Guild Wars 2, so I guess I have to use my imagination some.

@Sy - does this give you a better idea of what I would have in mind for a signature based on my character? :P
Also, your thief story, if I'm getting what you're implying, is downright twisted.

Drake Stormborn (a Human Thief) - signature look: a dark blue scarf covering his facial features, with a black hood over his head - Drake, like many humans, was forced to grow up on the streets of Divinity's Reach, but that's certainly not his whole story. The day of his birth was one of war and bloodshed... of lightning flashing in the sky, the sounds of thunder echoing over a battlefield, swords clashing outside the castle walls. He was given the nickname "Stormborn" due to the nature of his birth, with the chaos around him - born in the midst of two storms: one of lightning, and one of blood and steel.
He was told that his parents died protecting him when he was still a newborn, fighting against a powerful host; whether it was a Charr attack, some sort of guild war, an attack by minions of the Elder Dragons, or even remnants of the White Mantle, he's never known. He's not even sure if they really are dead. All he has left of his parents is the dark blue scarf he wears everywhere he goes, inscribed with the shield of his house - the cloth he was covered in as he was smuggled to safety. A trusted family friend ran to safety with him in tow, barely escaping from the battle, and eventually made it to Divinity's Reach. His first memories are of living in a run-down little orphanage in Divinity's Reach. The woman who raised him told him he was born into a noble family, but would not share his family name, or even what his parents were like, supposedly for his own protection... and died with the knowledge of his heritage, stricken by a deadly disease.

And so it was that, at merely the age of 8, he was living out on the streets, fighting for every scrap of food he could get his hands on. As he grew, so did his skills. He grew adept at freerunning through the city to evade capture by the city guard, and learned how to steal without being seen. Eventually his talents became noticed by the more sinister residents of the city streets, and he was contacted... with a business proposition.

That is how he came to work for a shadowy assassin's guild, still only a dark-haired teen... he began to hone his skills as a killer, learning the best ways to kill without being seen, whether it be with blade, pistol, or even bow. He even learned a few tricks in manipulating the shadows around him, learning how to hide in plain sight, how to move from one location to another as if stepping through the shadows themselves. When you heard of a prominent noble dying quietly in his sleep, or falling from a balcony due to loose railing, or dying of a simple food poisoning... it's likely Drake was the one behind it, quietly killing from the shadows. A few times he would even be told to make a public spectacle of the kill, so as to send a message to the public, using his finely-honed talents to avoid capture by the city guard.

Years passed, and Drake, now a young adult, did his best to avoid thinking about the people he'd killed. He focused on how good the pay was, and how he was no longer having to steal his meals. He even allowed himself to be fooled into believing that the guild was working against corruption - He was, after all, often sent to kill members of nobility. But one day he was given a contract that he could not bring himself to carry out... haunted by a pair of beautiful eyes, he ran, realizing what a monster he had become - realizing the truth of his employers.
Though he may work from the shadows, he pushes himself now to be more than just a blade in the darkness... hoping to make amends for his past. He refuses to put faith into any but himself, not allowing himself to be deceived or betrayed ever again.

Many view him as the strong, silent, and brooding type. He's certainly not a very talkative human, at the very least. But the few people he has warmed up to know him for the kindhearted person he truly is.

-----

I have yet to come up with any kind of backstory for any other characters I'll make, mostly because I'm not yet sure what race/profession combos I want. The "beautiful eyes" in Drake's backstory, however, is a subtle reference to my girlfriend's character. :P
I don't know what race she'll be, so I just alluded to beautiful eyes. I'm betting my beta access that she will jump on Necromancer immediately, if not Mesmer as a close second.

Last edited by DrakeWurrum; 2012-05-16 at 12:30 AM.

I hope you haven't forgotten my role in this little story. I'm the leading man. You know what they say about the leading man? He never dies.

If you give in to your impulses in this world, the price is that it changes your personality in the real world. The player and character are one and the same.

My characters in WoW are all bonded together (with some exceptions) in some way although I am not in a RP server (major mistake, I don't enjoy the game anymore), but... I still haven't managed to decide on either race or class for GW2... can't make a story as a result obviously :S

(Haven't actually come up with a proper name for my character, but he's a Charr Engineer.)

An incredibly eccentric Charr, <Name goes here> has an obsession with three things: Fire, explosions, and technology. Makes perfect sense coming from an Engineer of the mighty Iron Legion. Those who have met <Name goes here> believe he suffered some kind of head injury when he was young, as everything about him strikes others as "odd" , or "not right in the head". As a cub, he played with fire ...literally. His paws still bear the scars of burns he suffered as a child from the flames and his fur has scorched patches all over. His love of explosions arose from the war stories of old he was told, about how his ancestors marched across the lands of Tyria, raining down fire and death upon all who stood in the way of their conquest, and watching as the war machines of the Iron Legion roared with the sound of cannon-fire. As he watched, nothing else in the world mattered to him, all that existed was this glorious machine that exuded power with each billow of smoke that burst from the barrel.

Now, as a grown Charr, he lives his childhood fantasy working on machinery for the Iron Legion. Although he is starting to prove himself as quite an asset for the Iron Legion, it hasn't been without moments where he has posed some threat. He is a fan of experimenting, with absolutely no concern of the possible risks. Anyone who expressed concern about it to him would be dismissed with a simple "Then why don't you just stand over there?". Often, his toying with dangerous materials resulted in volatile reactions, causing explosions and one time causing passersby to believe it was an enemy attack. He received his share of reprimanding, and has since constructed a small shelter a safe distance away from harm where he continues his dangerous experiments.

His personality is just as unstable as the chemicals he works with. He can be selfish, incredibly childish, petty, jovial, vicious or heroic at a moment's notice. He seems to have an eerily bubbly personality when around/talking about machinery and weapons. He has even gone so far as to name his prized flamethrower and his toolkit, his trusty companions on his adventure to further the cause of the Charr and to make his name (or explosives) heard throughout Tyria.

I don't RP, but I usually make up stories for my characters anyways. Here's mine.

Aldritch Blazefang was having an ordinary day until he stepped through that Asura Gate. He was heading to the colonies off-world, but the gate sent his particle stream straight through a solar flare. He stepped out of the same gate he entered, 500 years in the past... He along with Voxx, the Asura Titanmancer, Rowena Novacaller, the Human Astromentalist and Blitz Neutronclaw the Charr Bioengineer were pretty confused until Voxx theorized what had happened with the gate.

They spent the day wandering the future location of Chimaera's Gateway, currently know as Lion's Arch and stopped for the night at an Inn. Voxx eventually decided it would be practically impossible for them to return and they spent a long time in grim silence.

The others weren't so worried, they could destroy any problem that surfaced with their futuristic powers, but Aldritch wasn't a fighter, he was a chef at Drakeburgers... Eventually after voicing his concern, Rowena suggested he look into studying the guardian profession because she knew the Blazefang warband had been famous for their guardians in the past. He figured he might as well give it a shot and set out to the Black Citadel while the others went their own way for now...

Hmm... I might potentially possibly share my shortest story, if my RP friend permits it. It's kind of a personal (no, not in that way! Grow up!) thing between us, I tend to write her little stories between our RP characters and she writes me something in return. But generally I don't share such stories before the characters are created, partially because they might reveal names (this particular story doesn't, which is why I'm fine publishing it) of characters whose names can then be subsequently stolen, partially because character appearance has a large impact on the actual writing (managed to circumvent most of it in this one... don't ask me how, probably couldn't do it again :P).

I would really want to have an epic asura story for my char in GW2.
Perhaps I'm getting spoiled with star wars now where the story really makes you feel powerful and connected with your character... more than in other game before.
I dont know how much voice acting there will be in GW2? But reading about it... it seems they are far from close to deliver same quality as star wars did. I'm not sure how much of a letdown it will be.
Sure, I get more pvp instead, so perhaps good they spent more resources on that... if they make it work smooth at release.

So I surely will try follow the story of my future asura... if it will keep me excited about what will happen next time will tell. Anyone know if you can make choices that affects your story, similar as in star wars?

I love my RP and Lore, I give all my toons a back story. My Death Knight *(male undead high elf) is my Hunter's(my main and female blood elf) older brother, and my Night Elf Mage is RPed as a Highbron ancestor of my hunter and DK. my mage is around the age of 10,000.
And that's just 3 of my toons, just thoughs are the one most import to my Hunter's Back story. I also RP her, my Hunter. As a Farstrider Ranger.

*My DK is really a Blood Elf but for RP I do it was a Forsaken High Elf, he was killed in the 3rd War(WC3).

I would really want to have an epic asura story for my char in GW2.
Perhaps I'm getting spoiled with star wars now where the story really makes you feel powerful and connected with your character... more than in other game before.
I dont know how much voice acting there will be in GW2? But reading about it... it seems they are far from close to deliver same quality as star wars did. I'm not sure how much of a letdown it will be.
Sure, I get more pvp instead, so perhaps good they spent more resources on that... if they make it work smooth at release.

So I surely will try follow the story of my future asura... if it will keep me excited about what will happen next time will tell. Anyone know if you can make choices that affects your story, similar as in star wars?

The personal story is voice acted w/ choices, as are dungeons. Sidequests (DEs) have voice acting (banter and whatnot) but no actual choices, due to DEs being a dynamic jump in at any time and go go kind of thing, not a linear questing system.

My norn was left behind the the wilds. I got raised by the rabbits, when i was older in my teens i came home and got too see the most awfull moment in my life. My familiy was murdered, this was the moment i decided to travel out in the world seeking veangence for my familiy, I'am Nørn the Rabbit Prince

No worries, I added a heads up in giant blue letters at the top, so it should help somewhat.

That's more general advice for the whole forum, than this particular thread. I wish Bobo would change the format of the front page some so that it tells you right in that box what sub-forum the thread is in. (it would be easy to fit that by moving the ad on the right-side to a different location, and thus extending the "Recent forum posts" box)

I hope you haven't forgotten my role in this little story. I'm the leading man. You know what they say about the leading man? He never dies.

If you give in to your impulses in this world, the price is that it changes your personality in the real world. The player and character are one and the same.